The Practice of Piety, Table of contents
THE CHIEF CONTENTS Of this Book.
1. A Plain description of God, in respect of his Essence, Persons and Attributes, so far as every Christian should competently endeavour to learn and know: with sundry sweet Observations and Meditations thereupon. Page 4
2. Meditations setting forth the miseries of man in his life and death, that is not reconciled to God in Christ. 37
3. Meditations of the blessed state both in life and death, of a man that is reconciled to God in Christ: Wherein thou shalt find not a few things worthy the reading and observation. 63
4. Meditations on seven hindrances, which keep back a sinner from the Practice of Piety; necessary to be read of all, but especially of carnal Gospellers in these times. 104
5. How to begin the Morning with pious Meditations and Prayers. 138
6. How to read the Bible with profit and ease once over every year. 143
7. A Morning Prayer. 217
Another shorter Prayer for the Morning. 157
Another brief Morning Prayer. 161
8. Meditations how to walk with God all the day. 162
Especially how to guide thy Thoughts. ibid
Thy Words. 168
Thy Actions. 173
9. Meditations for the Evening. 185
10. An Evening Prayer. 189
Another shorter Evening Prayer. 195
11. Things to be meditated upon, as thou art going to bed. 198
12. Meditations for a godly Housholder. 200
13. A Morning Prayer for a Family. 203
14. Holy Meditations and Graces, before and after dinner and supper. 209
15. Rules to be observed in singing of Psalms. 215
16. An Evening Prayer for a Family. 217
17. A Religious Discourse of the Sabbath Day, wherein is proved that the Sabbath was altered from the seventh to the first day of the week, not by humane ordinance, but by Christ himself and his Apostles: that the fourth Commandment is perpetual and moral under the New Testament, as well as under the old. And the true manner of sanctifying the Sabbath Day is described out of the Word of God. 222
18. A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath Day. 267
19. An Evening Prayer for the Sabbath Day. 282
20. Meditations of the true manner of Fasting, and giving of Alms, out of the Word of God. 287
21. The right manner of holy Feasting 303
22. Holy and devout Meditations of the worthy and reverent receiving of the Lord's Supper. 305
23. An humble Confession of sins before the holy Communion. 330
24. A sweet Soliloquy to be said a little before the receiving of the holy Sacrament. 345
25. A Prayer to be said after the receiving of the holy Sacrament. 353
26. Meditations how to behave thy self in the time of sickness. 363
27. A Prayer when one begins to be sick. 365
28. Directions for making thy Will, and setting thy House in order. 371
29. A Prayer before the taking of Physick. 375
30. Meditations for one that is recover'd from sickness. 386.
And a Thanksgiving. 390
31. Meditations for the sick, taken from the end of God's chastisements. 394.
32. Meditations for one that is like to die. 396
33. A Prayer to be said of one that is like to die. 399
34. Comfortable Meditations against despair. 402
35. Directions for those who come to visit the sick. 415
36. A Prayer to be said for the sick by those who visit him. 418
And choice Scriptures to be read unto him. 421, 422
37. Consolations against impatiency in sickness. ibid.
38. Consolations against the fear of death. 425
39. Seven sanctified Thoughts, and so many spiritual Sighs, fit for a sick Man that is like to die. 429
40. Of the comfortable use of true Absolution, and receiving of the Lord's Supper, to the faithful and penitent, before they depart this Life, if they may conveniently be had. 435
41. The last speech of a godly Man, dying. 444
42. Meditations of Martyrdom; wherein is proved, that those who die for Popery cannot be Christ's Martyrs. 445
43. A Divine Colloquy betwixt Christ and the Soul, concerning the virtue and efficacy of his dolorous Passion. 452
44. The Soul's Soliloquy unto Christ her Saviour. 461